CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. - After opening the season with a 3-2 record, the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga softball team returns to action beginning Saturday with a doubleheader against IUPUI and host Georgia State at 9 a.m. The second day of the Panther Invitational begins at 10 a.m. with a matchup against Eastern Illinois before a tournament bracket determines the final start time of 2:30 or 4:45 p.m.
With rain forecasted for the Atlanta, Ga., area this weekend, be sure to check GoMocs.com and twitter @GoMocs for updates about changes to game times.
Fans can follow all the action with live stats and free audio available on the softball schedule page of GoMocs.com. The Voice of Lady Mocs Softball, Tyler Brown, has the play-by-play call for every game this season.
Chattanooga opens its home schedule with the annual Frost Classic on Feb. 24 with a doubleheader against Valparaiso and Niagara beginning at 1:15 p.m. The 12-team tournament played on four fields also includes Ball St., Belmont, Cleveland St., Dayton, East Tennessee St., Purdue, Tennessee Tech, Troy and UT Martin.
Georgia State Panther Invitational - Feb. 18-19 - Atlanta, Ga.
Saturday
9 a.m. Chattanooga vs. IUPUI
11:15 p.m. Chattanooga at Georgia State
1:30 p.m. IUPUI vs. Eastern Illinois
3:45 p.m. Eastern Illinois at Georgia State
Sunday
10 a.m. Eastern Illinois vs. Chattanooga
12:15 p.m. IUPUI at Georgia State
2:30 p.m. No. 4 vs. No. 3 seed
4:45 p.m. No. 2 vs. No. 1 seed
TAKING A LOOK AT THE OPPONENTS
Lady Mocs vs. IUPUI: 1-0
Series History: The teams met in the Frost Classic last year as the Lady Mocs won 9-1 after five innings. Tiffany Baker and Della Harrison hit round trippers during the contest, while Michelle Fuzzard went 3-for-3 and the team totaled 12 hits.
Scouting Report: The Jaguars are 3-1 on the season defeating Southeast Missouri State (5-0), Louisiana-Monroe (11-3, 5 inn.) and SIU-Edwardsville (7-1), while falling to Northwestern St. (1-4). Jenny Royse leads the offense with six RBI including a home run and a double along with Leah Prewitt, who has posted a team-best five hits. Jocelyn Oppenhuis is 1-0 and has not given up a earned run in 9.2 innings pitched, including 14 strikeouts. Nikki Thomas and Emili Excamilla have each picked up a victory. IUPUI went 15-32 last season under head coach Maggie Calcaterra and welcomes seven newcomers.
Lady Mocs vs. Georgia State: 8-5
Series History: The series resumed during the 2010 season and both teams have split doubleheaders on their home fields. Chattanooga won four meetings during the 2000 season and is the only year that either team has swept a series. All the games besides two in 1995 (GST won 7-0) and 2000 (UTC won 5-0) have been decided by less than four runs, including four one-run contests.
Scouting Report: The Panthers are 4-2 on the young season including victories over East Tennessee St. (11-2) and Western Carolina (7-5), while earning two-game splits against Longwood (3-2, 7-11) and at Georgia Southern (1-0, 1-4). Lauren Coleman paces the offense with seven hits, two home runs and four RBI, while Paige Nowacki has driven in four runs on five hits including two doubles and a home run. Alana Thomas has posted a 2-0 mark and 1.17 ERA in 12 innings tossed, racking up seven strikeouts. Registering a team-best 13.1 innings is Kaitlyn Medlam, who has fanned 13 opposing hitters. Erin Collins has also picked up a victory in 3.2 innings of action. Head Coach Roger Kincaid is in his second season guiding the Panthers, who finished second in the Colonial Athletic Association and won the CAA Tournament to advance to the Athens Regional.
Lady Mocs vs. Eastern Illinois: 2-0
Series History: Chattanooga swept a doubleheader with the Panthers on March 18, 2010 by scores of 3-2 and 12-4 after five. The Lady Mocs needed a Jenni Martin pinch hit double to knot the contest in the seventh before Lyndsey Stiles drove in the game-winner to leadoff the eighth. The offense unloaded in the nightcap putting up crooked numbers in the third, fourth and fifth innings. Nikki Waters hit her fourth career home run in the contest, while Stiles drove in three.
Scouting Report: Eastern Illinois is opening the season in Atlanta, Ga., after being selected first in the Ohio Valley Conference (OVC) preseason poll. The Panthers are coming off their first-ever OVC regular-season championship with a 40-12 overall and 26-4 league mark. The team's top returning hitter is Melise Brown, who posted a .384 batting average along with 63 hits and tied the team lead with 30 RBI. Stephanie Maday earned a spot on the OVC second team and freshman team in the circle compiling a 1.61 ERA with 14 wins and 114 strikeouts. Head Coach Kim Shuette is the reigning OVC Coach of the Year and is entering her seventh season with the program.
GoMocs.com Covers All Your Softball Needs
- The official website of Chattanooga athletics has up-to-date student-athlete bios, schedules, notes and statistics.
-Be sure to follow @GoMocs on Twitter for in-game updates along with all the news and information about the program.
- Live Stats can be found to all games, whether the Lady Mocs are home or away.
- New this year, all Lady Mocs road games are broadcasted for free through MocsVision.
- Live video and play-by-play can be seen through the pay-per-view section of MocsVision.
- Tyler Brown, the Voice of the Lady Mocs Softball, has the call of each contest this season with Nate Blythe providing insight as an analyst.
- Check GoMocs.com for recaps, post game notes and video interviews with head coach Frank Reed and student-athletes following each game.
400 School Wins for Reed
- Coach Reed notched his 400th career win at Chattanooga to begin the season against Bethune-Cookman, 12-1.
- Reed is now 403-236 (.630) coaching the Lady Mocs and 868-321 (.723) all-time as a collegiate skipper including 11 seasons at Chattanooga State Junior College.
- He has coached in 1202 career collegiate games.
Fuzzard a Candidate for Lowes' Senior CLASS Award
- Senior P/DP Michelle Fuzzard was named one of 30 candidates for the award on Feb. 15.
- The criteria for the award is a combination of the student-athlete's achievements in community, classroom, character and competition.
- List of candidates that the Lady Mocs play: Natalie Land, IF, UCF; Molly Garst, IF, Purdue; Shayla Jackson, OF, Florida St.; Adrienne Monka, 1B, Northwestern; and Michelle Moultrie, CF, Florida.
- Classroom: Graduated with 3.24 GPA in criminal justice in Aug. 2011, has 3.33 GPA as grad student and 270 hours interning at Moccasin Bend Mental Health Institute.
- Character: Overcame torn ACL in 2010 to be named the 2011 SoCon Player of the Year, works on the Student Athletic Advisory Committee (SAAC) and Gender Equity Committee of the University
- Community: youth ball coach mentoring younger players and assisted in setting up meetings with Friends of Jacklyn Teammate, Amanda Swartout.
- Competition: 2008 SoCon Freshman of Year, three-time SoCon First Team, 2009 SoCon second team (only player in league history to make first and second team at different positions), 2011 SoCon Player of the Year. Four SoCon Regular Season Titles, Three SoCon Tournament Championships and Three NCAA Tuscaloosa Regional appearances.
Deason Named SoCon Pitcher of the Week
- Freshman Taylor Deason made an immediate impact in the circle for the Lady Mocs, going 2-0 with two CG.
- The Clarksville, Tenn., native recorded 13 strikeouts on the weekend and 1.79 ERA in 15.2 innings pitched.
- She went the distance against Bethune-Cookman after yielding three runs on three hits in the first, but shutdown the Wildcats retiring 18 of the next 19 batters, including six strikeouts.
- Deason tossed 1.2 innings of relief against North Carolina and fanned two.
- She struckout five in a complete-game three hitter against Florida Atantic, giving up just one unearned run in a 7-1 win.
Doubling Them Up
- Chattanooga turned three double plays on the opening weekend including two against Florida Atlantic.
- The Lady Mocs took advantage on a hit-and-run by the Knights as sophomore left fielder Layne Rainey caught a ball in the left center field gap and tossed it to first as the runner was rounding third.
- An unconventional 5-4-1-4 double play occurred against the Owls as the runner at first attempt to take second.
- The seventh saw second baseman Sara Poteat turn a 4-3 twin killer to hault any thoughts of a Florida Atlantic comeback.
Fuzzard Moving Up the Charts
- The next RBI for the Huntington Beach, Calif., native passes Tiffany Baker (163) on all-time list, Allison DeVries (1996-99) is next up with 167 followed by Melissa Ramirez (2002-05) at 177.
- She has 42 career doubled, third all-time, and has already passed Megan Luring (1998-99) with 41 this season.
- Next on the list is Allison DeVries (1996-99) with 56 and Melissa Ramirez (2002-05) is atop of it at 63.
- Fourth on total bases list with 335 needing 12 to pass Leah Tucker (1998-01) with 347.
- Tenth on hits list at 209 needing 3 more to pass Lyndsey Stiles at 212 and 13 more to tie Dana Reed (1999-02) and Denise Posey (1995-98) at 222 for seventh.
- Moves into the top 10 in runs scored with 11 more passing Allison DeVries (2000-04) with 112.
Poteat's Hot Start
- Junior second baseman Sara Poteat leads the team with a .474 batting average.
- The Thomaston, Ga., native has a hitting streak of five along with classmate Kasey Tydingco.
- She has four multi-hit games so far.
Contributions from Newcomers at the Plate
- Freshmen outfielder Cheyenne Willis, outfielder Nicole Osterman and third baseman Sarah Beth Roberts had hits in the Lady Mocs first game.
- Junior third baseman Ninjja Suetsugu also notched a hit in her fist at bat for Chattanooga.
- Osterman registered the first extra-base hit of the group against Bethune-Cookman.
- Roberts led the newcomers with five hits and two doubles on the opening weekend
All-Time in Season Openers
- Chattanooga is now 10-9 all-time in season openers after notching a 12-1 victory after five innings against Florida A&M in Clermont, Fla.
- It is the third time the Lady Mocs opened in Clermont, Fla., 2-1 overall with lone defeat being 1-0 to No. 10 Oklahoma in 2010.
- Chattanooga is also 8-6 on the opening weekend in Clermont , Fla., over the past three season.
- Ten times the team has began the year in the Sunshine State.
Fuzzard's Fifth Season
- The Huntington Beach, Calif., graduated in August 2011 with a bachelor's degree in criminal justice and is working towards a masters in the same field.
- She has helped the Lady Mocs capture four SoCon regular season and three SoCon Tournament titles, while going to the NCAA Tuscaloosa Regional three times.
- Fuzzard received a medical redshirt after playing in just 15 games during the 2010 season.
- During her rehab, she had an opportunity to learn the game from the coaching perspective by charting pitches.
- She compiled an 18-6 mark and 3.04 ERA last year in her first full season back striking out 89 in 133.2 innings pitched.
- Fuzzard set the SoCon and school record with 75 RBI during the campaign, while hitttng .400 and slugging .726.
- Tallied 15 doubles and 14 home runs.
- Three-time All-SoCon First Team (2008-09, 11) and second team (2009)
- Selected as 2011 SoCon Player of the Year and 2008 SoCon Freshman of the year.
Replacing Six Starters
- Chattanooga lost six student-athletes due to graduation in Tiffany Baker, Lauren Flores, Della Harrison, Kandice Irwin, Lyndsey Stiles and Nikki Waters.
- All six played significant roles in the Lady Mocs advancing to the finals of the NCAA Tuscaloosa Regional a year ago.
- Baker set the career home run record at Chattanooga and the conference with 50, while breaking the schools single-season mark with 18 last year.
- Irwin led the NCAA in saves the past two seasons and finished T-3rd on the NCAA all-time saves list with 21.
- Waters was important in the circle down the stretch leading Chattanooga to victories in the SoCon tournament and regionals.
- Stiles was a dynamic lead-off hitter and base stealer for the Mocs setting the table for the middle of the lineup.
Looking at the Returning Starters
- Fuzzard, Tydingco, Traxler Poteat and Morimoto started for the Lady Mocs and made significant contributions throughout the year.
- These four hit second (Poteat), third (Fuzzard), fifth (Morimoto), sixth (Tydingo) and seventh (Traxler) last season.
- All five are consistent and hit over .300 led by Morimoto at .402 and Fuzzard at .400.
- Poteat is a threat on the base paths and could leadoff or bat second in the Lady Mocs lineup.
Looking at the Newcomers
- Head Coach Frank Reed brought in five freshmen in pitcher Taylor Deason, pitcher Jenny Garcia, infielder Sarah Beth Roberts and outfielder Cheyenne Willis along with junior infielder Ninjja Suetsugu from Miami-Dade to start the year.
- Freshmen outfielder Haylee Blalock and utility Nicole Osterman were brought in at the break with Osterman being a first-semester transfer from Miami-Dade.
- Garcia is out for the year after suffering an ACL tear during the Blue-Gold game during the fall
- Roberts and Suetsugu are battling for the starting job a third base, while Willis is looking for a position in the outfield.
- Deason and Fuzzard will anchor the pitching staff.
Lady Mocs Picked Preseason Favorite
- Chattanooga is favored to win its 14th Southern Conference Regular Season title voted upon by the coaches.
- The Lady Mocs received all eight possible first-place votes totaling 64 points followed by College of Charleston (50), Georgia Southern (1-48) and Appalachian State (44).
- Senior designated player Vivian Morimoto and junior second baseman Sara Poteat were selected to the first team.
- Second team honorees were senior Michelle Fuzzard at pitcher and utility and junior first baseman Kasey Tydingco.
- Fuzzard is the reigning SoCon Player of the Year, while Poteat captured the 2011 SoCon Tournament Most Outstanding Player.
- Top individual honors went Marie Fogle (OF) and Allie Miles (P) of Georgia Southern.
